Best Place to Overlook the City of Guilin
There are four prominent karst hills projecting from Guilin city proper including Folded Brocade Hill, Solitary Beauty Hill, Hubo Hill and Elephant Trunk Hill. Of all the four karst hills, I favour Folded Brocade Hill, the highest hill in the downtown Guilin.
Google Map recognizes Folded Brocade Hill as Diecaishan Scenic Spot literally meaning 叠彩山景区 in Chinese ( named after the payers upon layers of its rock formations which resemble folded brocade or silk).
This is the best place to have a panoramic view of the city of Guilin with spectacular views of Li River, Mulong River, Hubo Hill and Solitary Hill with pocket-friendly entrance fee.
How to Get to Diecaishan Scenic Spot
Folded Brocade Hill ( Diecaishan Scenic Spot ) is located about 2.5 km north Rong Lake or Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, along Zhongshan Road 中山路 or Binjiang Road 滨江路, and about 3.5km to the northeast of Elephant Trunk Hill.
Opening Hours:
April 1 – November 30 : 06:00-18:30 (latest entry 18:00);
December 1 – March 31, next year : 07:00 — 18:00 (latest entry 17:30)
Entrance Fee: 25 per peron
Tel: 0773-2100660
Address: No.27 binjiang Road, Diecai District, Guilin 桂林市叠彩区滨江路27号
Public Bus: Take Bus No. 2, No. 203, Sightseeing Bus Line 1, Sightseeing bus Line 2 and get off at Diecai Shan.
How to Visit Folded Brocade Hill
By the entrance gate you will see the ticketing office – 25 yuan per ticket. Walking from the entrance, you pass through Chicken Blood Jade Museum ( a bit commercial ), then continue to walk past some shops selling little knick knacks and souvenirs at the base of the hill.
Very soon you will see a wooden signpost introducing the different trails you will follow. There are four peaks on the hill including Yuyue Peak于越山, All-Direction-Looking Peak (Siwang Hill) 四望山, Crane Peak 仙鹤山 and Bright Moon Peak 明月山.
You are recommended to hike the Bright Moon Peak ( 明月山), the highest with a spectacular view at the sea level of 223 m and 73 m at the relative height from the base, a 20-minute walk to the hilltop.
It is not a workout to reach the top, but you till need to have strong legs to walk up to the top. If you feel tired, you may take a break along the stair-steps spiralling up to the summit.
Virtual Tour of Diecaishan Scenic Spot
Folded Brocade Hill (Diecai Hill) is not be missed on your Guilin tour. Now follow me to have a glimpse of Folded Brocade Hill.
Actually Fubo Hill is located just a 960-meter south of Folded Brocade Hill, these two hills are officially combined into one scenic area known as Diecai-Fubo Scenic Area. So when you see the road signs, they introduce Diecai-Fobo Scenic Area (叠彩伏波景区) instead of just Folded Brocade Hill.
The wooden signpost introducing the different trails both in Chinese and English. You are recommended to hike the Bright Moon Peak for the best bird-eye’s View of the city.
To hike up the hill, you will first have to go through a cave known as Wind Cave at the base of Folded Brocade Hill.
The Wind Cave is worth a close look and there are quite a few Buddhist stone carvings inside the cave. There are about 100 Buddha statues of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.
There are about 100 Buddha statues and 200 stone carvings of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.
Walk through the Wind Cave, turn right and hike up the stairs of the stone steps leading to the top.
On the hiking route, the zigzag stone stairs allow you to look down or at a distance for diverse views at different heights. On the top of the Bright Moon Peak, there is a stone tablet inscribed with the words “Reach the top of Folded Brocade Hill, you will live up to 103 years old”.
The hilltop is relatively open and spacious. There is a pavilion standing on the summit known as “the Cloud-Catching Pavilion” 拿云亭 built in a round shape, single eave and a pinnacle. The Cloud-Catching Pavilion is the best place to have a panoramic view of Guilin.
Looking in the north, you will see Li River on the right side and Mulong Lake on the left side.
Looking in the south to have a panoramic view of Guilin city, Hubo Hill (by the Li River) on the left and Solitary Beauty Hill on the right.
A close-up view of Solitary Beauty Hill in Guilin
A close-up view of Mulong Lake.
The Li River northeast of Folded Brocade Hill.
The Li River southeast of Folded Brocade Hill.
Tip: Hassle-free Guilin Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for organized tours to Guilin:
Guilin Tour
Guilin Private Tour
Guilin Group Tour
Guilin Layover Tour
Beijing Guilin Tour
Hong Kong Guilin Tour
Guilin Car Rental with Driver
Guilin Customized Tour
Further Readings
Guilin Tour – Top 10 Things to do Guilin
Best time to visit Guilin
Where to stay in Guilin
Top 10 Guilin Luxury Hotels
Top 10 Guilin Boutique Hotels
Top 10 Guilin Budget Hotels
Guilin Tourist Scams, Tourist Traps in Guilin
Guilin Taxi
How to Visit Elephant Trunk Hill
Folded Brocade Hill (Diecai Hill)
Jingjiang Princes’s City to be Skipped
Stroll around Shan Lake and Rong Lake in Guilin
Yangshuo Taxi: Yangshuo Taxi Fares, Tips and Phones
Li River Cruise
How to Visit Xingping
Impression Liu Sanjie Mega Performance in Yangshuo
Biking through Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo
Yangshuo West Street
Bamboo Rafting on Yulong River in Yangshuo
How to Visit Longji Terraced Rice Fields
Visit Huangyao Ancient Town from Yangshuo or Guilin
Daxu Ancient Town
How to Visit Chengyang Wind & Rain Bridge
Any questions, just drop a line.
